GrossFest 2026 – July 31st-August 1st
Comfort Inn Conference Center
699 Rodi Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15235
Friday 4-10pm – Saturday 11 am to 7Pm
Tickets: $15 for one day or $20 for both days. Only available at the door.
For our first guest announcement for Grossfest 2026 it only makes sense to have someone whose career that started in the mid-80s and hasn’t slowed down a damn bit! Projects like “Goblins”, “Zombie Rampage”, and “Sorority Babes in the Dance-A-Thon of Death” were Indie cult classics among video store nerds. Hard to find films that were talked about like myths around a campfire at summer camp until a little project he made “Zombie Bloodbath” hit the scene in 1993. His name was soon mentioned with the likes of the Polonia Brothers, Donald Farmer, Jon McBride, etc. As the 2000s came his career may have seem to slow down a little but that was just this legendary (I don’t say that lightly) talent gearing up for the second stage of his career that gave such weird and wild horror titles: “House of Forbidden Secrets”, “Dreaming Purple Neon”, and “Bonehill Road” with him not slowing down as it seems his career is now running on more caffeine than most humans have in their life we have the pleasure to introduce to Grossfest fans… the man, the myth, the legend… TODD F’N SHEETS!
We have a returning guest for Grossfest 2026… but this isn’t just any returning guest as the QUEEN HAS RETURNED TO PITTSBURGH! Yes Grossfest fans this wonderful talent isn’t just a pretty face in the independent filmmaking crowd. You would know her as a director, a producer, a writer, editor, or some would know her as THE QUEEN OF SCREAMS. Her anthology film “Body Count” that played at Grossfest two years ago pretty much cemented she is a force that people must take notice of in the independent genre but we know her as the absolutely entertaining talent… Jenn Nangle!
So this was a delightful surprise for GrossFest 2026 as we haven’t seen such a talented and rising star in the independent genre maybe since the likes of no one? Seriously GrossFest fans this person has done it all in such a quick time as they have done over 65 projects in literally five or six years. This person is one of if not the hardest working talents in the independent film business as we speak! Their presence on screen is literally eye popping and we can assure you they will be making it to Hollywood like a Tiffany Shepis. This wildly multi-talented person can play any role you ask of them and disappear in the character to bring them to life like no one else before them; if acting isn’t needed they do make-up, stunts, direct… This person is paving a new way for talented people in the industry and as soon as their name is mention yinz all will agree. They have been in projects such as: Night of the Axe, Wolf Hollow, Debbie Does Demons, Amityville Ripper, Waspzilla, Crackcoon, Night of the Dead Sorority Babes, and many more! It is absolutely our exciting pleasure to introduce yinz to the ultra-talented … Angel Bradford!
This young starlet had a weird several month period in 2025 that side tracked her life and career that caused a late minute cancelation for Grossfest last year. Now back on track of her complete domination of not just being a star in the independent genre but someone Indie fans will always remember as her drive and confidence in the amazing film work she does is remarkable. She continues to branch out in writing and directing as we hope GrossFest 2026 will be even bigger because of her presence we can only be talking about Morrigan Thompson-Milam!
Over the past decade this person has directed and produced over forty films that started with such titles: “MILFS vs. Zombies” and “Frames of Fear”. Over the decade he has slowly carved a nice niche in the independent genre with popular titles: “Wrestlemassacre” and “Shriekshow”. But a couple recent titles really have the independent community celebrating his work with “Killer Campout 1 and 2”, “Crackcoon”, and “Cracula”… Yes GrossFest fans give this exciting filmmaker a warm welcome as it is… Brad Twigg!
This next Grossfest 2026 guest announcement should not surprise anyone as her presence on screen since she started her career a few years back has made her a must see in the independent genre. In the short time she has been an actor she has already worked on some stand out films such as Deathboard, The Legend of Crick Foot, and A Cheesy Christmas which proved with each project she will be a favorite to see for many years. We can only be talking about the entertaining young lady… Melissa Sapienza!
This talented young lady is making her first convention guest appearance ever at Grossfest 2026. By time Grossfest rolls around she may have ten more films released she has been a part of. Her hard work in the past couple years has already paid off with her roles in “Bathtub Shark Attack”, “The Emasculator”, and “Wally Meets Popeye” as we wanted to have GrossFest fans meet her before she gets too famous or something… Of course we are talking about the one, the only, and also someone that argues with Tom Gross about hot dogs we like to introduce yinz to Carly Sonafelt!
For our next announcement for GrossFest 2026 is also quite exciting as we consider this person an absolute independent film legend. This person’s career started at a young age in the late 80s and as soon as I mention any of the projects this person has been a part of yinz will exactly know who it is… They pretty much grew up in the independent scene doing whatever it takes to be a part of a project: grip, production assistant, extra, and then graduated to speaking roles, being a writer, a producer, a director! This person has seen it all and done it all but what makes it special to have them back to Grossfest since their last appearance it seems they challenge themselves to say “hold my beer to themselves” and “wait until you get a load of me” to Indie fans with such recent genre changing projects ‘Her Name was Christa’ and ‘Side Effects May Vary’… The only person in the room that might be able to tell just as many stories about independent filmmaking as David and Diana Silvio (A Grossfest Lifetime Achievement Award winners mind you), we of course can only be talking about a person that may have the most interesting career in acting but also might be considered the nicest person you’ll ever meet at a convention… We like to introduce yinz to MR. JAMES L. EDWARDS!
Our next guest announcement is always one of my favorites at a convention as her presence on screen always jumps out from the movie and she is just as awesome meeting in person. Her work as an actor has been great but the more intriguing recent move that I think will be absolutely delightful is her move to directing as she recently finished up a horror musical “I: scream” which I believe will have independent film fans begging her for more… Of course we are introducing to Grossfest 2026 the lovely, the talented, the beautiful Aleen Isley!
Another staple of Grossfest as this person has pretty much accomplished everything you can in the independent genre. Honestly we have run out of good shit to say about this dude… He has won a Fango Award, Thirst Trap Award, hell we believe he won a title during an independent wrestling event? But most importantly he won the GrossFest Lifetime Achievement Award and our hearts; we are talking about the legendary Steve Rudzinski!
Special Guest for Friday (July 31st) only!
Well we got one more guest for yinz to enjoy at Grossfest 2026 but for Friday only as they couldn’t stay away from Grossfest any longer and beyond ecstatic to be hanging with us meeting all the Grossfest fans. You remember those beer commercials “with the most interesting man in the world”? Well this person is the real life version of that as they had to miss the past few Grossfest shows because of their investigating, writing, acting, panel production and starting new shops with jewelry and clothing! No lie this person is also an expert on the Bigfoot, werewolves, and those pesky aliens if you are keeping track… Without a doubt we could only be talking about “the most interesting and pure bad ass woman in the world” we like to introduce yinz to Christine M. Soltis!
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